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Just wondering if there's anyone out there that has been diagnosed with cc who was previously taking cholesterol medication (Crestor, Zocor, etc). My husband had been taking Crestor for approx 3 months and it was causing him alot of discomfort. Prior to this he had been prescribed Zocor for several years. When he suddenly became jaundiced and a malignant mass was detected in his bile duct tube he immediately had a whipple surgery performed and now is not taking any cholesterol meds. The stage 1 cancer originally contained and removed from his common bile duct tube 9 months ago has now returned to the abdomen (stage 4) in the original incision area.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

I am sorry to hear about your husband, Dee. Not sure if cholesterol drugs have ever been mentioned on our Board. You can try our search engine at the top of the page. My husband had a Whipple exactly 4 years ago and it returned a year ago April where his duodenum used to be. He had cyber knife and has done very well. As you probably know we really know nothing for sure about this type of cancer. Just not sure if 3 months on a RX could cause the return in that amount of time. How are they going to treat him now? Please keep us posted as you will find tons of caring people in our world.

THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME! Teddy ~In our hearts forever~ATTITUDE is EVERYTHINGAny suggestion I offer is intended as friendly advice based solely on my own experience. Please consult your doctor for professional guidance.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Hi Dee,We're glad to see you've joined the board. You'll get wonderful support and information here. Is Lenny still feeling better? Gary is having a much easier time after chemo this time - and what a blessing since we're on vacation. We'll talk to you sonn. Prayers to you! Elaine

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Hello Dee and welcome to our site. From what I have experienced and from what I have been told is that most (if not all) CC patients are taken off medications affecting liver function as the liver already is being compromised by this cancer. This is a great subject for debate. Thanks for bringing it up.I am sending warmest wishes your way.Marion

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

I have also been on simvastatin for several years and I still am...no one ever seemed concerned at all about it.? My discomfort and jaundice came from the bile duct stricture/aka c.c.. Wishing you only the best. Deb

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Dee,

My husband was on a low dose simvastatin for several years before the CC. Not sure if there is a connection or not as there really does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to this awful disease. As Jan said, I do believe there are a few posts on this subject.

I am glad you have found this site but sorry you needed to. I will be hoping for the best for your husband & you.

Darla

"One Day At A Time"

All of my comments and suggestions are just my opinions and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care providers.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Hi,

I am resurrecting this thread. As I wrote above, my mother was on Zocor. I am worried because my 72-year-old father has now been prescribed a different cholesterol med and I am really questioning if he needs to be on it. If we know that cc is on the rise I think it is valid to question whether or not new drugs are causing it.

I also wish I had been more involved in my mom's health care before she got cc, she had heart problems but was perfectly capable of going to the doctor herself so I never thought to go with her. Now after doing some research I see that if you are on Zocor your liver enzymes should be checked regularly and I don't know if her doctor did that and maybe I would have asked more questions than she did.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

My husband Tom was on Simvastatin and therefore had his liver enzymes checked every three months. In Jan 08, his levels were fine, in Mar 08 they were 9 times elevated, and the search for finding the 'why' began. Thank goodness for those blood tests, else they may not have found his cancer until it was too late. Until his reoccurance of a new tumor 18 months later, he was his surgeons 'success' story...

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Hi Patty,

As posted above, my husband was on a low dose simvastatin for several years before the CC. His liver enzymes were checked regularly and were normal in June '08. Symptoms started in July and he passed away Sept. 2.So, in his case, monitoring his enzymes didn't help. I don't understand how his enzyme levels could be normal when his cc was so advanced by the time it was diagnosed. Doesn't really make much sense, but then again, nothing about this disease does.

I really question the use of any drugs now. My Dad who is 83 has had several health issues including an infection for which he was given antibiotics while in the hospital. After being sent home, he ended up back in the hospital after being released as he had c-diff which was brought on by the antibiotics he was given for the infection!

So anyway, I don't know if there is a connection between cholestrol meds & CC, but it is something to be explored further.

Darla

"One Day At A Time"

All of my comments and suggestions are just my opinions and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care providers.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Margaret,

Not sure why the doctors had to search for the 'why' with regard to the elevated enzymes. Zocor can cause elevated enzymes in patients so I think the 'why' is the Zocor, not cc. We don't yet understand cause and effect in the progression of cc. CC could be the result of elevated enzymes instead of elevated enzymes being the result of cc. Not sure if I am making sense here but if we don't know what happens first we don't really know how the disease progresses.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

There is a lot of controversy about the efficacy of cholesterol-lowering drugs. The relationship between fats, cholesterol, and heart disease is still not thoroughly known. Several large studies have shown that there

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Wow! Kris,

That information is very disconcerting. Jim had some of the symptoms mentioned in the article before his problems with CC became apparent. Nothing severe, so we thought it was just age catching up with him. He did question taking the meds, but when he stopped the doctor said his levels were off and told him to go back on along with fish oil tablets. I am going for a physical on Monday and after reading all of that, I think if cholesterol meds are suggested I will decline. I know that not all who take these meds will die of cancer, but it is very thought provoking and does need to be addressed. It sounds to me like it is more about the money than what is best for the patient.

"One Day At A Time"

All of my comments and suggestions are just my opinions and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care providers.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Very interesting, indeed! I have been on Lipitor for 3 years and Tri Cor for 2 years and yet when I had my Carotid Artery checked in December one side had a 30% closure! Not bad, but if I am watching my diet, all be it somewhat, and taking the statins why would it be clogging. AND did it play a part in my GIST tumor? I will be 70 next month, and I have a rare cancer called GIST Tumor, so will have to think this one over and use my already reliable GUT feelings!

THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME! Teddy ~In our hearts forever~ATTITUDE is EVERYTHINGAny suggestion I offer is intended as friendly advice based solely on my own experience. Please consult your doctor for professional guidance.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Wow! It crossed my mind when I was diagnosed with cc, could it have been linked to taking Lipitor for so many years and then because of leg cramps, I changed last year to Simivastatin. I was off of Lipitor for a couple of months but my cholesterol went back up so the doctor put me on Simivastation. Strokes run in my family. Last July, when I was diagnosed with bile duct cancer, I stopped taking all medication plus vitamins. I have started taking vitamins along with some herbs the last few months. i am more concerned about the cancer than I am the cholesterol, but I have wondered if there might be a connection taking the Lipitor all those years.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Hi everyone, thought I would chime in here too. I'm 53 and was on Mevacor for about 7 years prior to diagnosing with CC. I also had regular blood tests every 3 months to monitor the liver function and make sure that the Mevacor was being tolerated and processed through the liver properly. Tests were always within normal range and even though an ultrasound for "possible ulcer or gallbladder" problems showed an 8cm tumor in the left lobe of my liver and bile duct, my blood tests were still normal and never elevated.

My doctors have never mentioned that the cholesterol meds could be a problem. They were more concerned with birth control pills and fertility drugs that I had taken. By the way, I am still taking the Mevacor and no one has recommended that I stop. I intend on re-visiting that thought with my Doctors soon. Heart disease runs in my family, and my cholesterol was very high without it. I guess you have to weigh your problems.....cancer or heart disease? The cancer is life-threatening right now, heart disease is not at the moment.

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Hi...my dad was on Lipitor initially, then was put on Zocor.

Jolene

"Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do what we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain." ~g. b. hinckley

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

My Mom was diagnosed in November and she had been on cholesterol meds for several years, at least 10. I too have questioned the connection as it seems suspect. Will pass along any information I will find.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

Well... It seems to me that these days, once you get past a certain age, pretty much everyone is put on some kind of cholesterol med, so perhaps it's not surprising that many people with cc have been on cholesterol meds.

Re: curious...anyone taking cholesterol meds been diagnosed with cc?

My dad was on statins/cholesterol lowering drugs, which they promptly took him off when he became jaundiced.

I think they try to get pretty much anyone on them these days. My uncle who's a doctor said that the 'normal' cholesterol level has got lower and lower in his 40 years in medicine and now people are on meds who would never have been years ago.

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